Toothbrush support means



Jan. 5, 1960 H. c. CLARK 2,919,813

- TOOTHBRUSH SUPPORT MEANS Filed June 11, 1959 41m iii- INVENTOR,

4 HENRY C. CLARK I United States Patent TOOTHBRUSH SUPPORT MEANS Henry C. Clark, Memphis, Tenn. Application June 11, 1959, Serial No. 819,658 Claims. (Cl. 211-66) This invention relates to certain. new and useful .im' provements in toothbrush support means, and in particular relates to a simply and easily connected bracket adapted for mounting upon a conventional. bathroomiixture, such as of the type which is customarily present for the purpose of supporting toothbrushes, for the further purpose of supplementing and amplifying the capabilities of such conventional fixtures for supporting devices such as toothbrushes.

The invention further contemplates the provision of such a bracket which may not only be easily and simply installed, but which is readily detachable from its. installation, and which is so adapted to supplement the con ventional built-infixture as to provide an auxiliary-to the storage facilities for devices such as toothbrushes.

It is commonly known that in the modern home bathrooms andsimilar accommodations are'conveniently providedwith facilities for storing, supporting and maintaining devices; of many kinds and characters, and, as is well known,.it is conventional to provide a bathroom or similar accommodation with a fixture-usually adapted to support-a glass or other receptacle, as for drinkingwater, and having peripherally disposed slotsor openings for the reception of the handles of devices such as toothbrushes. Unfortunately, these devices most frequently are inadequate for the purpose, as when a family increases in size, and it often becomes necessary to find additional means for storing toothbrushes, particularly when it is considered that many persons employ a multiplicity of toothbrushes for their daily dental needs.

The" present' invention has for its principal object the provision of" a simple and facile means for so supplement ing the conventional fixtures as readily to provide for the storage and support of the multiplicity of additional devices such as toothbrushes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bracket formed of a length of resilient, wire-like material adapted to be detachably mounted upon a conventional toothbrush rack fixture, and which is adapted to provide additional and supplemental toothbrush support means.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device, which, when mounted, is firmly fixed to the toothbrush rack but which may be conveniently removed therefrom when desired, as for example for purposes of cleaning; and

A further object of the invention is generally to improve the design, construction and efficiency of means for supporting toothbrushes.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the bracket of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view illustrating the bracket of the present invention installed upon a conventional fixture.

2,919,813 Patented Jan. 5, 1966 2 Fig.- 3 is an end view of the device as seen in Fig. 2; and

Fig.4 is a top plan view of the device as seen in Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various par-ts are indicated by numerals, the invention is illustratedin its preferred environment mountedupon a bathroom fixture 11, which essentially comprises a platform- 'to' conveniently support and: thus store the toothbrush,

Fixture 11 is conventionally attached to the house structure, suchas the bathroom wall 19, fragmentarily indicated.

Inorder to supplement the storage capacities of fixture- 11, the present invention contemplates the provision of a bracket 21, which is preferably formed of an integral length of resilient wire-like material. Bracket 21 com-- prises a pair of depending vertical legs 23, to each ofwhich is attached substantially perpendicularly a retainingfoot'25, the feet 25 being respectively connected with the lower ends of legs 23 and projecting horizontally in wardly therefrom. Connected with the upper ends oflegs-23 are brush-supporting loops 27 which are respec-- tively; disposed substantially, perpendicularly to the legs 23, and project outwardly away therefrom. Intermediate the loops 27, which are substantially U-shaped, is adownwardly projecting abutment portion 29. The abutment portion-29 is preferably substantially vertically dist posed and lies substantially parallel to the legs 23, al-- though the abutment portion is spaced outwardlyaway from the-legs .23. The abutment portion 29 is connected.

withxthe loops 27, preferably as by connector portions 31,.

and as heretofore stated, the'entire bracket 21, including the legs 23, 25, loops 27, abutment 29 and connector portions 31, is preferably integrally formed of a single lengthof resilient wire-like material.

In? the use of the device the feet 25 are insertedinto an opposed pair of apertures 15 in bathroom fixture 11,. and-v areprojected downwardly therethroug'h, the resiliency of the material of bracket 21 permitting the insertion without dilficulty.v When so inserted the legs 23 extend: downwardly through the body of fixture 11 and the feet 25 bear against the underside of fixture 11, as best shown in Fig. 2. When the device has been thus seated, abutment portion 29 bears against the outer face of fixture 11, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, with the body of fixture 11 between apertures 15 and the outer face of the fixture being embraced between the abutment portion 29 and legs 23 so as firmly to engage bracket 21-upon fixture 11. With the bracket so firmly fixed in place on fixture 11, brush-supporting loops 27 will be seen, as shown best in Fig. 4, to project outwardly away from the body of fixture 11 and to provide additional brush-supporting portions.

It will further be observed that the insertion of legs 23 and the mounting of the same in apertures 15 does not materially obstruct the apertures 15, and, therefore, does not diminish the efiiciency of the apertures for the purpose of the reception of toothbrush handles. The resiliency of the wire-like length of which the bracket is formed urges the legs to engage solidly, yet yieldingly, against the extremity of apertures 15 in which the legs are inserted, and provides thereby for assisting in the firm fixing of the bracket in position.

If it becomes necessary or desirable to remove bracket 21 from fixture 11 the same may very simply be lifted therefrom, withdrawing the legs 23 and feet 25 from the apertures 15 in which they have been inserted. The device may then be cleaned or otherwise treated as desired, and when and as desired may be returned to position on the fixture.

It will be seen thereby that the bracket 21 enables the substantial increase in the storage capacity of fixture Ill. It will be understood that while each bracket 21 is shown with a pair of loops 27, the number of loops with which the bracket may be provided may be increased Without departing herefrom, and thus may substantially increase further the storage capacity of the combined fixture and bracket.

' I claim:

1. Means for supporting toothbrushes and the like, comprising a bathroom fixture having a plurality of handle-receiving apertures, a supplemental bracket detachably engaged with a pair of said apertures, said bracket formed from an integral length of resilient wire-like material and including a pair of substantially vertically disposed legs projecting downwardly through the engaged pair of apertures, each said leg at its lower end having a horizontally disposed foot portion, said foot portions underlying and engaging the under face of the body of said fixture, said legs at their upper ends being connected to brush supporting loops projecting outwardly away from the upper face of said fixture, said bracket including a depending abutment disposed intermediate said loops and spaced outwardly from said legs, said abutment engaging the end of said fixture below said loops, the resiliency of said bracket urging said legs into the remote extremities of said apertures, whereby to detach ably mount said bracket on said fixture without substantial obstruction of said apertures to furnish said loops to supplement said apertures.

2. Means in accordance with claim 1, in which said depending abutment is substantially U-shaped and is substantially parallel to said legs.

3. Means for supporting toothbrushes and the like, comprising a bathroom fixture having a plurality of handle-receiving apertures, a supplemental bracket engaged with a pair of said apertures, said bracket formed from resilient wire-like material and including a pair of legs projecting downwardly through the engaged pair of apertures, each said leg at its one end having a substantially perpendicularly connected foot portion, said foot portions underlying and engaging the body of said fixture, said legs at their other ends being connected to brush supporting loops projecting away from the upper face of said fixture, said bracket including an abutment disposed 4, intermediate and perpendicularly to said loops and spaced from said legs, said abutment engaging the end of said fixture, the resiliency of said bracket urging said legs into the remote extremities of said apertures, whereby to detachably mount said bracket on said fixture without substantial obstruction of said apertures to furnish said loops to supplement said apertures.

4. Means in accordance with claim 3, in which said abutment is substantially U-shaped and is substantially parallel to said legs.

5. Means for supporting toothbrushes and the like, comprising a bathroom fixture having a plurality of handle-receiving apertures, a supplemental bracket detachably engaged with a pair of said apertures, said bracket formed from resilient material and including a pair of substantailly vertically disposed legs projecting downwardly through the engaged pair of apertures, said legs at their upper ends being connected to brush supporting loops projecting outwardly away from the upper face of said fixture, said bracket including a depending abutment disposed intermediate said loops and spaced outwardly from said legs, said abutment engaging the end of said fixture, the resiliency of said bracket urging said legs into the remote extremities of said apertures, where. by to detachably mount said bracket on said fixture without substantial impedance of said apertures to furnish said loops to supplement said apertures.

6. Means for supporting toothbrushes and the like, comprising a fixture having a plurality of handle-receiving apertures, a supplemental bracket engaged with a pair of said apertures, said bracket formed from resilient wire-like material and including a pair of substantially vertically disposed legs projecting downwardly through the engaged pair of apertures, said legs at their upper ends being connected to brush supporting loops projecting outwardly away from the upper face of said fixture, said bracket including a depending abutment disposed intermediate said loops and spaced outwardly from said legs, said abutment engaging the end of said fixture, the resiliency of said bracket urging said legs into the remote extremities of said apertures, whereby to detachably mount said bracket on said fixture without substantial impedance of said apertures to furnish said loops to supplement said apertures.

Fleury Sept. 17, 1907 Austin Oct. 28, 1913 

